Former Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna has entered the NCAA transfer portal following a plea deal that led to the dismissal of child pornography charges against him. The move comes less than a week after Kitna pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. He received six months probation for each count. The five original felony charges related to child pornography were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
Kitna, son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, was a four-star recruit when he joined the University of Florida. He participated in four games during the 2022 season before his arrest in November 2022. The arrest stemmed from allegations that Kitna shared two explicit images of underage girls online via the Discord platform. A subsequent search of his phone reportedly revealed three additional saved images of a similar nature.
Following the arrest, Kitna was dismissed from the Florida Gators football team. In a statement after the plea deal, Kitna expressed remorse and apologized to his family and friends, acknowledging the impact the situation has had on them. He also emphasized the lessons he has learned and his desire to move forward.
Kitna's decision to enter the transfer portal signals his intent to continue his collegiate football career elsewhere. It remains to be seen which schools, if any, will offer him a place on their team given the sensitive nature of the previous charges.
